On Human Skin And Bones
by Becky L. Sly
Summary: "They were a revolution mapped out on human skin and bones". Kantiss and Gale go through with their plan of running away into the woods after both of them were reaped. Story starts right after Prim's name be picked up at the Reaping.
1. The Reaping

**Author:** Becky L. Sly  
**Title: **On Human Skin And Bones  
**Genre: **Romance/Adventure/Drama  
**Rating: **M (explicit sexual content and description of violence)

**I don't own anything. All character belongs to Suzanne Collins**

* * *

**ON HUMAN SKIN AND BONES  
**_by Becky L. Sly_

* * *

**Chapter 1 – The Reaping**

Primrose Everdeen.

From all names that could have been picked up by Effie Trinket, Katniss wished for having never heard that one. She felt her muscles jelly and her body lost the trim. She felt herself totally numb, languid. Couldn't be happening what was happening. Actually, that all was sort of ironic, because a couple of seconds ago Katniss was wishing for her name to not be chosen. "_Don't be me. Don't be me",_ she whispered in her mind. No, there wasn't her. Was Prim, her little sister.

"Prim?" Katniss muttered, No, that even sounded right. How Prim could have been picked up? Katniss was still feeling her body numb, then suddenly she realized a plenty of eyes looking at her, but she couldn't focus her sight in any of them. They were all stranger, were all pitying for what had happened. It was then that Katniss saw a pair of grey and familiar eyes looking at her. Gale was startled, almost as much as Katniss was. He was just a few feet away from her. He was resisting to the impulse of going through the crowd and stands by her side. But if he did that, luckily he only would get punched in his jaw from any of the Peacekeepers. However the truly reason that stagnated Gale where he was, preventing him from taking such a natural attitude for him as that, was that he was really shocked.

Gale's sight made Katniss hit the ground.

"Prim?!", she cried. She could see Prim, whom in the moment that listened at her sister's voice turned back to find her. Prim was on the verge of crying, trying to put her stubborn shirt into her skirt. She didn't know what to do. She didn't know if she should run away and hide herself somewhere, or if she should keep walking to the stage, where Effie Trinket was stretching her arms to welcome her.

"Prim, Prim, Prim", Katniss started to walk towards her sister, muttering Prim's name in each pace. Two Peacekeepers noticed her moving and they also started approximating themselves. Katniss reached Prim's arm, whom turned back frightened, in time to see the horror in Katniss's frown. Prim had never saw that face in her sister, and she hardly would forget that sight.

Before Katniss could did anything, those two Peacekeepers reached her arms and started to pulling her away from Prim. When she realized that she was being moved away, she struggled herself against the Peacekeepers, trying her best to cling Prim. She disentangled on of her hands, which hit the jaw of one of the Peacekeepers harder.

"No! No!" she bawled desperate, being pulled away even more from Prim. "I volunteer! I volunteer myself as a tribute!" she yelled. At that moment the Peacekeepers set Katniss's arms free. All in the square turned their eyes toward Effie Trinket.

Effie Trinket was stand on the stage slack-jawed. She was taking off her guard by the elapse of the Reaping.

"Oh, well…" she whispered so low that even the Mayor by her side couldn't had listen. She cleaned her throat and continued.

"Wonderful! Today is the day which the pleasant District 12 will be gifted with it's first volunteer for the games in so many years" Effie said with her weird accent from the Capitol. She stretched her hand towards Katniss, inviting her to the stage. "Come here, my dear".

Prim was holding Katniss's hand at that moment; she was trembling by the adrenaline rush that was traveling her little body. Suddenly Gale appeared from the behind and picked up Prim from the ground. Prim struggled; she didn't want to stay away from Katniss.

"That's okay, Prim" Katniss said over her shoulder while being escorted by Peacekeepers to the stage. "Stay with Gale"

Katniss climbed the steps to the stage, kind of reeling, still numb. Effie greeted her and asked for she to put herself on her left side. Katniss obeyed and walked slowly towards there. She turned forward to the crowd that was watching her.

She didn't want to cry, she didn't want to run away. Actually Katniss wasn't feeling anything by that moment. The only thing that she was thinking was that _Prim was safe with Gale. _Despite she had past through out that for five years, haunted by the possibility of being chosen, Katniss always felt inside her that it would never happen. _Stupid crap, _she muttered. Indeed, she was never picked up, she had volunteer herself for the Games. She had just signed for her death.

"Well, now to the boys", Effie's mellow voice took Katniss away from her thoughts. "Any volunteer?" Effie asked. Honestly, that was a very rude question. Nobody wants to be there.

"Well, let's go to the names, then", Effie finally said, putting her hand into the big bowl and grabbing a little card of paper. Katniss looked to the boy's row in front of her. Almost all of them were looking towards their own foot with a pained face, playing with the dust beneath their shoes. One or other were looking straight to the stage, but Katniss could swear that they were holding on their breaths.

_Everything will be okay, _Katniss thought. _Prim and mom will be safe with Gale, and they won't die by starvation. _

"Gale Hawthorne" Effie said with a unnecessary joyous voice. Katniss breathed out all the air of her lungs at once. It was like someone had just punched her in the stomach. _They must be kidding me! _Katniss's face was doleful. No, no, no, not Gale!

Far from the stage, Gale was standing near Prim, still trying to keep her calm, but when he heard his name by Effie's voice, he froze. Prim looked gravely to Gale, whom appeared with a totally expressionless face. He released Prim's hand mechanically and started to walk toward the stage. A dead silence settled by the Square at that moment. Gale was still walking to stage when he glanced to the youngest boy's row, catching the sight of his little brother, Rory, whom was looking back to him. Rory moved his lips trying to murmur something to his brother, but Gale didn't understand. He kept walking till he reached the stage, putting himself at Effie's right side.

"Well, well", Effie said, breaking the silence. "Ladies and gentlemen, your District 12 tribute for this 74th Hunger Games"

* * *

Katniss and Gale were taken to the Justice Building and each one was placed in two different rooms where they should wait to receive their visitors before embarking on the train that would take them to the Capitol.

While they were being taken, Katniss tried to reach Gale's eyes, hoping that he could tell her that everything would be okay, like he always did to calm her down. But Gale was avoiding himself from looking at her as hard as he could. He didn't wanted to. He'd rather believe that if he didn't look, maybe that was not happening at all. He couldn't bear the fact the he was supposed to join a competition where he would be forced to kill the one who he much cared about from all people.

If not the _most_ cared one.

Katniss was left in an extremely luxury room, full with velvet carpets and leather armchairs. She sat in one of those and waited for her visitor. Not so long after that, Katniss heard a noise coming from her door and in the next second Prim and her mother appeared.

Prim ran into Katniss and hugged her toughly, she was whimpering harder. "This's not fair" Prim croaked between a sob and other.

"Listen to me carefully, Prim" Katniss gently held her sister's face with her hands and spoke to her with a very weak voice, avoiding herself from crying. "You need to be strong, kay? You need to be strong for me and for mom, now. You'll have to find a way to get food".

"But how?"

"Learn how to hunt. You know where my bow is. You'll have to learn that by yourself" said Katniss, trembling in the last sentence, feeling a tear streaming down her face. "You need to be strong now, Prim"

Prim nodded and threw her arms once more against Katniss, burring her face in her sister's shoulder and starting to sob again. Katniss felt another hand on her shoulder. She looked up and saw her mother with a glazed face and red eyes. Katniss stood up and hugged her tightly.

"Promise me that you'll be strong. You'll be strong for Prim"

"I Promise"

"Do you?"

"I do" Katniss's mother said steady before she looked away for a few seconds, then returning to face her daughter's grey eyes. "Are you gonna try to win?"

To win involved the fact that Katniss would had to kill her best and only friend. That thought gave Katniss a chill in her spine. She didn't want to think about that.

"I don't know", she answered, frankly.

"Could you _try_?" her mother asked her in a very respectable voice, and her eyes etched that too. She needed her daughter. _Alive. _Her husband's death almost had taken the life from her and now here she was again, on the verge of losing one of the most precious people that she got. If it was necessary to kill Gale, the young and strong boy whom Carolyn* had seen growing up together with her daughter, in order to Katniss come back home, that was it. For sure, that thought would turn her to a selfish bitch, but that was her duty: to wish the best to Katniss and the best of course was to be alive.

Katniss didn't answered. And there was an answer for that? The only thing that Katniss wanted to was to wake up and discovered that all that was nothing but a nightmare.

The doors of the room opened once more, and the Peacekeepers announced that the visitor's time was finished. Katniss hugged her family and saw they leaving just in front of her eyes. The door closed and Katniss sat on the armchair again. She was not expecting for the door to open again, neither that she had another visitor. However, when Madge came in Katniss smiled to her.

"I don't know what to say, Katniss", said Madge. Katniss and Madge were sort of friends, but Katniss face was quizzical. She nodded her head.

"I just came here to give you this" Madge stretched her arm to give Katniss a gift: her gold pin. Actually, it was a Mockingjay holding an arrow in its beak, inscribed in a circle. "It's to give you luck"

Katniss didn't know what to say. She was completely gawky by Madge's gesture. Katniss smirked and thanked Madge for the little present, which with no ceremony left the room, leaving Katniss alone again.

Katniss stood there, holding her pin. She looked to the door, wondering if someone else would visit her. But anyone else entered to see her. From the other side of the door, Katniss could listen to Effie's voice, which seemed extremely anxious and angry. From where Katniss was she couldn't hear clearly what the other woman was saying. She approached herself to the door and propped her ear at the mahogany board. Effie's voice was clearer.

"_What do you mean with 'blocked'? That's ridiculous… Don't come to me with theses stories. We have to follow the schedule… I hope you don't kiss you mother with that mouth." _

To listen to Effie Trinket, _the woman always excited and positiv_e, being angry was somewhat comical. Seeing all that fake performance trembled was something worthwhile listening to. Suddenly the mahogany door opened, hitting roughly Katniss's chin, throwing her to the floor. She collapsed the ground with her chin aching.

"Shit, I'm sorry. I didn't know that you were peeking behind the door" said Haymitch. Katniss could swear that he was amused by the situation. Katniss looked up to see Haymitch grinned. "Come here. Let me se if I caused too much damage" he held Katniss's chin roughly, approaching her to him, scanning the injured area. The alcohol in Haymitch breath was intoxicating at that short distance.

"No, you are just fine to me", he dropped her face. "I don't think that you could use that as an excuse for not joining the Games" said Haymitch before he barked a laugh "Though it would be funny: injured by her own mentor" he laughed harder again.

"Funny", said Katniss. She was still rubbing the injured area. Haymitch pulled himself together and extended his hand to Katniss.

"I'm Haymitch, by the away" he grinned. "As known as you mentor"

"Katniss Everdeen"

"Well _Katniss_, I got a good and a bad news for you" he began, approaching even more. Katniss noticed that Haymitch's eyes were also gray, lighter than Gale's. Despite he was a man with his forty years, all dirty and wasted, Katniss could tell that Haymitch was _good-looking. _

"Okay", said Katniss. Haymitch turned away from her then he began a search for any bottle of beverage that perhaps had been left there.

"Good news: something is blocking the trails that takes us to the Capitol from District 11" Haymitch stooped to reach something under the armchair. When he realized that object was worthless, he threw it over his shoulders.

"What does that mean?"

"That means that will take two days for unblocking the trails", he walked towards Katniss. "We'll only left two days from now". He grinned, sort of amused that he had two days left before attempting that damn hell that he had to every year.

"And the bad one?" Katniss asked. Honestly, what could be worst than the situation that she as living?

"We can't go home. You'll have to wait here" Haymitch said expressionless. Katniss nodded. Actually it was better like that. If she returned home, she would probably try to run away and soon she would be catch and probably punished. Luckily they would just shot her, but there was always the possibility of they shot her family and forced her to join the Game anyway.

"Two days here. Well, that could be worse".

* * *

"Two day here?" asked Gale to Haymitch, who was filling a class with whisky. Before go to Gale to tell him the news, Haymitch decided to pass in the kitchen to check the liquor stock.

"Yeah" said Haymitch. He drank his beverage and released a little "aah" after swallowed it. Gale faced the man, who was as higher as him. Haymitch noticed that he was being observed.

"So" he started, putting in his glass more whisky. "You and… Katniss", he looked up facing Gale that stiffened his muscles when listened his friend's name.

"How long are you together?" said Haymitch before emptying his glass once more. Gale frowned.

"What you mean?"

"C'mon, you know. I have seen you together" Haymitch turned back and sat on an armchair in front of Gale, he left his glass on a coffee table and headed to him again. "Actually I always see you two together".

Gale shrugged.

"We are friends and we go to the same school"

"And hunt", completed Haymitch displeasing, not caring too much for what he was saying. Gale was wide-eyed, concerned that somebody might had listened what Haymitch said. He looked up and understanding Gale's reaction he completed. "Don't worry. Nobody can hear us here" and started to drink again now directly from the bottle. Gale nodded.

"What I truly mean is that I noticed the way that you _look at her_" said Haymitch. Gale didn't answer. "C'mon, you are not goona say that I'm a damn drunk, aren't you?"

"I don't know what you are talking about" shrugged Gale.

"Of curse you know!" yelled Haymitch who stood up in a jump, walking towards the boy. Gale remained still, closing his fists. Haymitch was a few feet close to Gale and spitted on Gale's face the next words. "I was just like you. Handsome, stronger, with a glowering face, could have _any_ girl that I wanted but only had eyes for _one_"

Gale still stiffened on his places, however Haymitch had calmed down a little.

"And the _best _part is that I never had my chance with her", Haymitch finished, before turning back and looking for his bottle.

"What happened?" asked Gale. Haymitch turned again to face the boy.

"I was reaped" he raised his bottle to Gale before drinking from it "And when I came back I was so fucking rich and so fucking destroyed so that she could notice".

Gale nodded felling a little uncomfortable with the situation.

"Of curse my situation is not quite as yours, but" Haymitch shrugged. "The true is that no one _never _win these Games"

"I don't know what to do", said Gale, not knowing exactly what he meant with that. _Katniss_. He couldn't stand thinking about her and more than never he wanted to be around her. His chest ached every time that he pictured himself join a competition with his best friend and leaving it without her, _one way or another. _No, no. He was not going anywhere without her.

"That's why I drink", said Haymitch taking Gale out of his own thoughts. "Actually my wish is to jump off that train. Every year I enter that damn train and every year I wish I could jump off," said Haymitch with a doleful look and then looking way he continued.

"Honestly I don't know if I drink to forget this idea or if it is to get the courage to do it"

* * *

Effie did her best to solve that situation, but she couldn't do much. When she contacted her superiors from the Capitol, they didn't care as much as she whished. This is what happens when you pick up a shabby District: nobody cares for it. Effie asked for her helpers to go to the train station and bring to her some blankets and pillows. She decides that she, her helpers and Haymitch would stay those two nights on the train, but when she asked to her superiors if Katniss and Gale could do the same, they denied, affirming that the Peacekeepers would have more control of then if they both stayed at the Justice Building. So, the only thing that Effie could do was to make that place as confortable as possible.

"I hope that you are hungry", said Effie as Gale and Katniss entered the kitchen. That was sort of an offensive question since everybody in District 12 were always starving. Effie asked for the cookers to make something in the train to bring it to the building, since the building's kitchen was way too small for it. They made an outstanding dinner, crowding the little round table of the kitchen.

At first Katniss didn't want to eat with Haymitch and Effie and also to eat any of all food that she never imagined to eat in her whole life, but when she saw Gale sitting at the table and grabbing a chicken thigh and gorged it like an animal, she didn't see a way to skip the invitation.

"Sorry for the size of the tabled", said Effie ashamed. "But this is the best we can do to make yourselves confortable". Gale barked a laugh at that.

During the dinner Effie was saying how beautiful the Capitol was and how sorry she was for delaying the trip. Haymitch was eating his meal in silence, and once in a while he made a sarcastic comment to Effie, who easily ignored it. Katniss couldn't stop facing Gale, who still didn't look at her. Rage was boiling on her and before she could think about anything, she was throwing a spoon at Gale, which hit his chest. Everybody was astonished.

Katniss were wild-eyed facing Gale, breathing between her teeth. Gale grabbed the spoon and dropped it on the tabled and then, finally, looked at her.

"What?" he said glazed. Katniss was ready to throw another thing at Gale, but Haymitch grabbed her arm in time.

"Wow, let's save this for the games", said Haymitch still grabbing Katniss's arm, and when he convinced himself that no more tableware would be thrown over the table, he let her go.

"_What? _Seriously?", said Katniss between her teeth. "You are avoiding me since you get up on that stage! You don't want to look at me anymore? Are you no longer my friend? Did you made your mind about killing me and returning safe to you home?" said Katniss in one breath. Gale was extremely offended by that and he was on the verge of saying a lot of things that he would probably regret later, but he didn't. He stood up and get out of the kitchen walking towards the room where he would pass the night in. As he walked out he listened the sound of a chair moving and he could swear that it was Katniss's chair. She was going to reach him and probably she would punch him on the stomach. Maybe he deserved that. But then he listened to Haymitch's voice in the kitchen.

"_Let it go. Give him some break"_

Gale was sure that Haymitch had said that to Katniss in order to stop her, but he knew his friend. He was waiting to Katniss ignore Haymitch and came towards him. But she didn't. Indeed, Katniss listened to Haymitch for Gale's surprise. Disappointed, he walked in his room and slapped the door behind him.

He threw himself on the couch and faced the celling. _Shit_. There is no better word to describe his situation.

_I'm Gale Hawthorne and I live in District 12. I'm one of the tributes of the 74__th__ Hunger Games and I'm about to wrestle my best friend Katniss Everdeen to death_

Gale stood up in a jump. Shit, shit, shit. Why has Haymitch had told him earlier that whole story about life wasted and love lost? Gale was already dealing with enough without that. Worst than seeing Katniss on that stage was joined her to the same destiny. He was doomed.

Doomed and locked.

He started to walk through the room and suddenly he kicked the couch. He needed to release his anger. He needed to figure out something. He needed a strategic.

"Holy shit", he muttered as an idea came to his mind. It was brilliant. Brilliant and suicidal.

_Thank you, Haymitch._

* * *

Katniss was almost falling asleep. Unfortunately the room that she was left had no couch, only two armchairs that were extremely heavy to be united into a bed. Katniss gave up to find a position in that armchair, so she decided to sleep on the floor over the velvet carpet.

She was too distressed that she couldn't control her own thoughts. They went from Prim and her mother to the woods, which she'd probably never would see again. Not even feel the wind and the smells of that place where she felt herself so free. And remembering the woods she remembered Gale.

_Gale, that bastard._

Katniss rolled to the other side of the room. She didn't want to think about Gale. If she weren't so mad she would be crying. She was crushed, maybe even more than crushed. Her heart was broken. Katniss really believed that Gale was preparing himself to kill her. Who can blame him? He had three little siblings to care for and also a mother to feed. Katniss only hope that he could remember her family when he returned as a winner.

Katniss put her hands against her face. This was driving her crazy.

All of a sudden, she heard a noise at her door, pulling up the blanket that was given to her till her chest. All the windows of the room were locked and it was so hot inside that Katniss had taken off her mother's dress, being only with her underwear.

The door opened slowly. Katniss was still on the floor. She looked to the armchair where her dress was and realized that she didn't have time to put it on.

"Katniss", Gale muttered and closed the door behind him carefully. "Are you awake?" he crouched to the floor and started to crawl on it, looking for her.

Katniss didn't answered. She thought he would just leave if she remained herself quiet. She wanted to hit Gale, to punch him until he felt the same way as she. However Gale found Katniss's ankle. She was about to take his hand off her when he started to travel his hand over her leg, from her calf till he reached her knee. Katniss held herself as he touched her skin. He already had touched her many times before, including her leg. but something was different about that touch. His warm hand was thrilling her now. Katniss pretend to cough and Gale took his hand off.

"Hey, Catnip" said Gale as he approached himself from Katniss and hugged her. At first she wanted to pull him away, but feeling his warm body next to her changed her mind. She hugged him back, forgetting that she was only in her underwear.

"I'm so sorry, Katniss. I just… I don't know how to deal with this" he took his arms off Katniss and held her face gently with his hands. His sight was getting used to the darkness, and Katniss's expressions were getting clearer.

"It's okay. I don't know how to deal with this too"

"No. I was a jerk"

"Gale, it's fine. Soon or later we would end up talking about this, right?" she grinned, not sure if he would see it. But he did. Not only her smile but also the fact that she was wearing nothing but her underwear. She was wearing a very thin top that underlined her breasts. He looked further down and saw that Katniss was wearing a dark pantie, maybe gray or black. It was interesting because once or twice he had pictured her wearing only her underwear… Or nothing.

"Gale?" she called him. If this were any other situation, maybe Gale would be a little ashamed for being caught in the act by looking Katniss body. Maybe he would have figured out some excuse and changed the subject. But here they were, facing an imminent death. No, Gale wouldn't apologize for that.

He trended himself to Katniss, kissing her. At first she was surprised with that and held her air in, but when she felt his tongue licking her lower lip she let him give her a long, slow, open-mouthed kiss. He had never kissed her before, but it was so good that Katniss went dizzy for a while. Gale leaned his body even more towards Katniss. He started kissing her neck while one of his hands was on her waist and the other were tangled in her bad-done braid hair. He pressed his body over hers, forcing Katniss to lie down beneath him. He put his leg between hers and started to kiss her mouth all over again. Katniss was breathless and sometime she needed to stop the kiss for catching some air and then kissing Gale again. One of her hands was against his chest while the other was playing with his hair.

"Oh, Katniss", he moaned, kissing her neck again. "I can't let you go". Katniss stopped the kiss and stared his eyes. Both of them were breathless and warm.

"I can't lose you, too" she said. He brought his face near Katniss, with his frown against hers.

"I got a plan"

"Which plan?"

"Let's run away"

Katniss looked at him astonished, getting up and forcing him to do the same. He couldn't be serious.

"Gale, this is pathetic. There are plenty of Peacekeepers outside just waiting for us to do that"

"Do you want to join the Games?" he asked serious. Katniss was offended.

"Of curse not!"

"So this is the only ways," he said. Katniss took a deep breath, not convinced. "We can do this tomorrow at dawn. We get out of here and run away to the woods, like we always said. Nobody will find us there"

"Gale, are you listening to yourself?" she asked angrily "This whole plan is a fiasco. The woods are the first place where they will look up for us. Doesn't matter how much we run, they will always be on our back"

"They will give up a hour. The Peacekeepers don't know the forest well, they would already have found us there if they did" he said. "Besides, they would be afraid of facing some cougars or bears. They would not too risk much"

"Okay. Let's imagine that it would work. How about our families?" she asked roughly, although she was afraid of the answer. "Are we gonna leave them here?" Katniss asked.

The truth was that Katniss was excited with the idea. It would probably go wrong, but just the thought of running away from there were delightful. However she couldn't just abandon Prim and run to the woods with Gale. As she knew he couldn't do the same with his own family.

Gale considered her question for a second.

"We will take them"

"What?"

"We will take them", Gale shrugged. Katniss stood up and started walking through the room one side to another.

"This is madness. How are we going to do this? And what if they catch us?" she was breathless again.

"Katniss", Gale held her shoulders forcing her to stop and face him. "I'd rather die trying to get out of here than going to the arena and be forced to watch you die there". Katniss was still quiet, facing him back.

"We can run away and try to live" he paused. "But if we stay here, I'm _not_ going to watch you die"

"What you mean?"

"You'll win the Game"

"Gale, this is pathetic. I don't have any chance of winning. You should win…"

"I'm not going to see you die, Katniss!" he barked, forcing Katniss to shut up. "I can't lose you"

And Katniss couldn't lose him as well. It was obvious. She just didn't wanted to be part of that. She just wanted her life back. _What life?_ Having fear every year couldn't be called life. Maybe Gale was right. Perhaps they should run away and hide. Maybe Gale's plan could work out. Perhaps it was better to die trying to escape than dying in the arena.

"So, are we gonna escape?" she asked staring Gale's eyes, but her voice were much more sweet now. Gale smirked and grabbed her hands.

"This is exactly what we are about to do".

* * *

**N/A: * The lovely Mrs. Everdeen doesn't have a forename on the books, which is an absurd in my opinion. So, I had the honor to name her Carolyn. **

**This is the end of the very first chapter! My dears, I hope you all know that reviews are so much important for us authors. ****So don't forget to submit me your review to let me know if I should go on with this.**


	2. The Escape

**Chapter 2 – The Escape**

The sunbeams entered through the windows of the room that Katniss was left last night. She rolled herself to the other side of the carpet, trying to avoid the sunlight. The room was completely bright at that moment, hindering the possibility of her to go back to sleep. She uncovered one hand and tried to reach Gale's body, which, by all she remembered of the night, should be by her side. He passed the night telling his escape plan to her, describing each detail to Katniss, which sometimes opined about one or other thing. The plan, however, had a flaw: no one knew how to get out of the Justice Building without being noticed. In due to that, they decided they would seek for any door or window that might had been left unlocked by the morning. After reviewing the plan for at least thirty times, Katniss asked Gale if he'd stay with her for the night, and so he did.

However, Katniss couldn't reach him while she was touching the carpet carefully. She opened her eyes and stood up in a second. "_Where's Gale?"_ she thought feeling desperate. She sought for him through all the room but he wasn't there. Still desperate, Katniss get out of her room and went straightly towards the room that Gale was left. She walked with hurry, trying to avoid herself from thinking the worst.

She stopped facing a mahogany door so imposing as that one of her room. She kicked the door to open it.

"Gale?" she yelled, but the room was empty. Her heart started beating fast. _They find out. They find out our plan, _Katniss thought, hardly breathing. Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder and she couldn't do anything but exalt a shriek of panic. Frightened and trying to defend herself, she turned her body in time to scare Haymitch, giving him a slap on the face.

"Son of a bitch!" he yelled stooping his body to his keens while one hand was rubbing his now reddish cheek. "Holy shit. What the fuck is your problem, girl?" he let out some pained moans, still rubbing the injured area, only making with it get even more red.

"I'm so sorry. I freaked out" said Katniss, watching her mentor's face get redder and redder. Bothered with that, Katniss approached herself from him and held Haymitch's hand. "Stop! You're only getting it worse!"

He departed her hand abruptly, looking to her incredulous for her daring to touch him after that slap.

"No, it's my fault", Haymitch started saying. "Was told to me to never surprise an animal from behind" he said with a sardonic smile on his mouth. Katniss tried to ignore that last comment, once that she was feeling a little bit guilty for the slap.

Eventually Haymitch could put himself together and faced Katniss.

"I heard you shout something", Haymitch said. Then Katniss remembered she was worried about Gale.

"Yeah… hum, where is Gale?", she tried not to seem so worry as she actually was a couple of minutes ago. Haymitch considered her question for a while.

"In the kitchen" he said expressionless but with a brooding eyes, analyzing Katniss carefully.

"Thanks" she said and started walking towards the kitchen.

"Wait" said Haymitch. Katniss stopped and turned facing him.

"Hum?"

"Why are you dressed like that" he headed to her body. She looked down to confirm that she was wearing her clothes. When Gale decided he would stay the night along Katniss, she put her dress on, guessing that she would feel herself more comfortable in that way if she slept cuddled with Gale. And there was it. Her mother's dress, all crumpled and unbuttoned top to bottom halfway. Katniss started to button her dress while Haymitch faced her.

"Hot night, hun?" he asked her very mischievous. Katniss looked up to saw Haymitch's sly smile.

"I don't know what are you talking about" she frowned, trying as hard as she could to avoid any expression that might reveal she spent the last night with Gale reviewing their escape plan.

"No?" Haymitch grinned and Katniss ignored him while walking towards the kitchen.

"Go brush your teeth, Haymitch. I can feel your breath from here" Katniss said over her shoulder after she had reached a certain distance from him.

"You're not the first woman to say this to me" he said with a grin, while she entered into the kitchen, meeting Gale and Effie Trinket.

"Good morning, my dear. Slept well?" Effie asked Katniss with her weird accent. Katniss ignored her and sat near Gale, who was gobbling his breakfast. Katniss could listen Effie whispering something like _"It's so rewarding when you pick up the rude tributes"._

"'Morning, Catnip" said Gale, grinning to Katniss, which stared at him for a while.

"I thought you'd wake me"

"You were sleeping so calmly that I wouldn't wanted to bother you" he shrugged. Katniss wasn't sure if that convinced her. "Do you want to eat something? Effie asked the helpers to make an excellent breakfast," Gale said and Katniss could glance Effie smirking from the other side of the table.

Had Katniss hit her head while she was sleeping? Why was Gale being so nice to Effie, complementing her and pleasing her? Katniss was slack-jawed facing Gale, not understanding his moves. Before she could say anything, Haymitch entered into the kitchen, walked over the fridge and grabbed something that looked like a bag of frozen vegetables.

"Haymitch, what happened?" Effie asked a little bit shocked with the reddish appearance of Haymitch's face. He looked to Katniss with a sly smile.

"Ask her" he pointed to Katniss. Effie looked to Katniss and conclude that Haymitch owned his swollen face to her, what made Effie smirked towards the girl.

"Good girl" Effie said and Katniss tried to grin to her. Even though Katniss hated everything that woman represented, she had to admit that Effie was trying to be as likeable as she could. Effie exalted a little "ouch" and Katniss realized that Haymitch had kicked her.

"Oops" he said without meaning it. "Wrong target" he grinned and grabbed a cup of coffee which was in front of him. He drank it being extremely noisy in every swig he took, which pissed off Katniss.

"Would you be _more _noisy?" she asked rudely and felt Gale's hand over her leg, as if he was trying to calm her down. Haymitch stared at her.

"Well, I can always try", and he took another loudly swig, releasing a little "aah" after he had swallowed. "However, if you are so uncomfortable with it, I suggest you to retreat." Katniss was wild-eyed facing Haymitch. She took Gale's hand off her leg and stood up rudely. She walked angrily out of the kitchen, going straight to her room. She listened steps behind her and suddenly Gale reached her arm, forcing her to stop.

"What's going on?" Gale asked quizzical and frowned. Katniss looked at him incredulous and took her arm out of Gale's reach.

"Why are you being so fake?"

"Excuse me?"

"That's right. Why are you being so fake?" she said harshly, almost spitting the words at Gale's face. "You're complementing Effie, being all smiling and eating all that food. You're not fooling anyone with this," she pointed at him. Gale grabbed Katniss's arm and pulled her towards her room, concerned that someone could listen to her.

"Katniss, what's wrong with you?" Gale asked slightly concerned.

"_What's wrong with me?_" asked she between her teeth. "What's wrong with _you?_", Gale looked at her confused.

"I'm just trying to be nice so no one may wonder what's going on" he said rudely, very pissed off by Katniss's judgment. "Maybe you should try to do the same"

"As if it would help" she replied sharply.

"What you mean with that?" asked Gale very angrily.

"I mean that being nice won't stop them from shooting us in the head if we were caught" said Katniss and Gale didn't answered, just stared at her. Katniss took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down before approaching to Gale. "I'm sorry"

"It's okay, Catnip" he said and cupped her cheek with his hand. Feeling his warm hand against her skin was extremely comforting.

"I just don't trust them" she said shrugging.

"And do you think I do?" he snorted, exalting a little laugh from Katniss. "Just a few more hour and we'll be far away from here" Gale said, pulling Katniss to a hug. She buried her face in Gale's chest, inhaling his smell that remembered her apples. That smell triggered her the memory of the forest.

"I hope so," she moaned against Gale's shirt.

* * *

The rest of the day went extremely slow. The Justice Building's officials were dispensed from service, and would return to work in two days. There wasn't so much to do. Katniss and Gale stayed a good part of their time in the kitchen. They didn't talk; they were very apprehensive about their escape plan to that night. Katniss absently stirred in some breadcrumbs over the table, making a little pile with that. Gale was watching her without really paying attention.

"What are you guys doing?" said Haymitch, making with both of them to look towards him. He was watching them for a while, kind of intrigued for not being noticed before.

"Nothing" replied Katniss.

"I was standing there for at least ten minutes without being noticed by both of you" said Haymitch, pointing to the door with his head. He pulled a chair and sat in front of them. "If you keep that attention on the arena, you won't last even a minute"

"Do you have some advice for us?" said Gale

"Stay alive" he said and barked a laugh right after. Gale and Katniss glanced to each other. Haymitch stopped laughing, stood up, and walked to the pantry to grab some liquor's bottle before looking to both again.

"You two are up to something"

Katniss was petrified. Haymitch was standing behind her, which was great once that Katniss could feel her cheeks and ears burning with the blood flow passing through them. She was flushed, holding her air in, afraid that Haymitch might had figured out something about their plan.

For Katniss luck, Gale seemed completely calm and relaxed.

"Why would you say that?" asked Gale, facing the man with a challenging look. Haymitch shrugged and drank directly from the bottle. After swallowing the liquor, he dropped the bottle on the kitchen's skink and returned to the table, still facing Gale with a sly smile.

"You two are acting very… strangely" said Haymitch. He was observing then very carefully, seeking for any sign that could give him some hint about their behavior. Katniss was still uncomfortable, and not wanting to give in, she stood up from her place.

"Where are you going?" asked Haymitch.

"To the bathroom. I need to take a bath" said she. Probably Haymitch would think that was a lame excuse and Katniss felt sorry for not thinking something a little bit better. She ran out the kitchen, afraid that Haymitch could ask her anything again.

She crossed the hall of the building and headed to a little corridor. At the end of it was a bathroom. Katniss walked in and locked herself in the bathroom. The space was very small, with only a toilet, a beautiful white marble sink, decorated with a large mirror framed in a wood frame and an old bathtub that was also made of white marble. She closed the toilet's lid and sat on it. She was glad for being alone, away from Haymitch. The air of the bathroom was cold, which make the room be even more confortable to her, different of the hell that was the entire Justice Building.

Was it so hot or it was just Katniss's perception? She didn't remember of having spent a summer so hot in her whole life. She stood up from the toilet and headed to the mirror, facing her own reflecting for a while. She was wondering what people would find about her during the Games. _That if I join the Games, _she thought. The Hunger Games were never about beauty context, but usually the more handsome tributes could get more sponsors. Katniss wondered if she would fit the Capitol's standard of beauty. She also thought about Gale, concluding that he had a good chance of getting sponsors if he counted with his material.

Katniss shook her head with that thought. She needed to be positive, to believe that Gale's stupid plan could work out. Indeed, Katniss was never a positive person.

She was starting to feel her sweat again. She stooped over the sink and washed her face with the tap water. The feeling was extremely invigorating. She cupped her hands and get more water, moistening her neck, nape and breasts, thoroughly wetting the neckline of the dress of her mother. She felt herself brand new with the water streaming down her skin. She felt herself _alive._

She looked back to the bathtub behind her. She had never had a bath in a tub that used tap water before and Katniss was excited with the idea. She opened the water tap and watched the flow run over the smooth white surface. Katniss also closed the bathtub drain, preventing the water to go away. She stood up and took off her clothes, being naked. She put one feet inside the bathtub, feeling the cold water touch her skin and she didn't care about the temperature. She sat in the tub, watching the water fall down over her bared body. When the bathtub was almost full, she turned off the water tap. Her body had become used to the water temperature.

It was sorely relaxing to be there in the water. Katniss submerged herself into the water, covering all her head. She enjoyed that silence as long as she could. She wanted to be there forever. There wasn't any problem down there, not even sounds or anything. However, she started to feel her throat burning and her lungs claimed for air. She broke out of the water and noticed that some of it had shed over the tub to the floor.

She heard somebody knocking on the door.

"Katniss, are you okay?" Gale asked concerned.

"Yes, I am"

"What are you doing in there?" he asked and Katniss noticed that the door handle was moving.

"Don't!" she yelled. Gale was startled on the other side of the door.

"What? What's going on?" he asked exasperated, struggling to the impulse of opening the door.

"Nothing, it's just that… I'm naked" she said. Gale took a while to answered that.

"Hum, dinner is ready. Effie is asking for you"

Katniss sighed. She needed to leave that bathtub and face the world again. She felt her body lose the vitality that had get with that bath. She felt the discouraged through her body. She looked up and saw a window large enough for one person to pass, noticing some birds flying across the sky and envied those creatures for being free as she wasn't. It was then that Katniss noticed that the window was _open_. There was a small gap which the air passed through and refreshed the environment.

She stood up from the tub and headed toward the window, still naked. She stood on the tips of her toes and observed that the window get to the back of the Justice Building. Carefully, she opened the window a little be more, checking if Gale and her could pass through it. It was the perfect size.

She took her clothes and dressed them with her body still wet. She opened the door and faced Gale, which was still waiting for her. She was with a sly smile on her lips while Gale looked at her intrigued.

"Gale, I think that I…"

"Oh, there you are!" said Effie, whom appeared from Gale's back. She approached herself from Katniss and looked to her all soaked clothes. Effie get startled. "Honey, what happened to you?"

Katniss looked down to admire her situation. Her body was shivering a little bit.

"I took a bath" she shrugged. "I couldn't find any towel"

"No, no, no! You can't be like that" Effie pulled Katniss's arm away from Gale. Katniss looked to her friend, whishing him to follow her. "Imagine if you catch pneumonia!" continued Effie.

Gale followed them both while Effie headed to the room that Katniss had spent the last night. He walked in and noticed his friend chattering teeth.

"I'll get you a towel and some dry clothe" said Effie with a soft smile on her face before she turned back and left the room.

Gale headed to Katniss and hugged her, trying to warm her up. To touch Katniss's body, he realized how cold those clothes really were. He rubbed his hands against her back, trying to make enough friction to heats her.

"Damn, Catnip" he said, still surprise for her body temperature. "Are you trying to kill yourself by hypothermia?" he said. Katniss smiled and buried her face against Gale's chest, absorbing all heat she could.

"Gale, I _do _need to tell you something" she said, raising her head and facing him. Gale's shirt was really soaked now. "Sorry"

"No problem" he said about the shirt. "What do you want to tell me?"

"I found a way to get out of here"

Gale faced Katniss without saying a word and when he was about to do it, Effie walked in the room. Gale released Katniss and let her grab a towel, which she wrapped it on herself. Effie also gave Katniss a pair of clothes.

"Here it is, darling" said Effie with an affectionate smile. "I hope the clothes are comfortable" Katniss grinned at her, trying to be as nice as possible.

"Thank you… _Effie" _she said. Effie smirked brightly and walked towards the door, giving some privacy to Katniss. As soon as the door closed, Katniss looked at Gale.

"Which way?" he asked hopefully.

"A window, in the bathroom"

"Did you saw to where the window is turned?"

"Hun… Gale" he looked to Katniss, which was sill wrapping a towel in her body while her lips were shivering. "Do you mind if I dress up?

He understood what she meant and turned his back to her, avoiding himself from peeking her. Katniss, awkwardly, kept holding the towel as she was changing the clothes. Effie had brought a pair of pants, a buttoning shirt, a pair of socks and even underwear. Though she was kind of uncomfortable with Gale's presence, she managed to get herself dressed up and wrapped the towel on her hair so it could dry down.

"Anyway" she said so Gale could turn and face her again. "The window gets to the back of the building. It's about ten feet to the ground"

"Do you think we could get out without being caught?"

"Yeah, I think so"

Gale grinned at Katniss. He felt like it was the perfect sign that his plan would work. Now the only thing they should do was to wait for everyone go to sleep. And then, they would be free again by the dawn.

* * *

Katniss was siting on the armchair in her room waiting for Gale. They had agreed to leave at the dawn, as soon as they had absolutely sure no one would be awake to surprise them.

She stood up when she listened a noise coming from the door, noticing that Gale was waving his head so she could follow him and they both headed together to the bathroom. Its floor was dry, which took Katniss to imagine that somebody had cleaned it up earlier. Gale opened the window carefully and put his head outside, making sure nobody was there. He climbed on the windowsill and jumped to the other side, making thud when his feet touched the ground. Already outside, he made sure that no Peacekeeper was around and when he concluded that the area was clean, he nodded to Katniss to follow him.

She climbed on the windowsill and jumped to the other side as well. Gale helped her so she couldn't hit the ground. They both looked around to see if no one was watching and when they were sure of it, they started to contouring the building, stopping behind some bushes to look carefully to the street in front them. There were two Peacekeepers guarding the Justice Building. Gale footed thoroughly through the bushes, being followed by Katniss. They two reached the back of a house without being noticed.

Gingerly they kept going through the alleys of District 12, taking great care to not be seen or heard. The whole town was quiet and when they passed by a window or another they could listened the deep breathes of the dwellers.

They headed to the Seam, going straight to Katniss's house. She knocked the door carefully, hoping that the sound would be loud enough to awake either her mother or Prim. The door opened and Carolyn appeared from behind, with a sleepy and scary face, being on her pajama.

"Katniss?" she said astonished. She barely believed she was seeing her on daughter in front of her. Katniss hugged her mother while Gale slightly pushed Katniss's body into the house so they both could be out of the street.

"Mom, we need to be quickly" said Katniss in disbelief she was holding her mother. "We are running away. Wake up Prim and grab the most important things. We are leaving in five"

Carolyn said nothing, nor even asked where they were going. She just ran out to wake up Prim.

"Prim, honey, wake up" Prim, very sleepy, opened her eyes but when she noticed the urgency in her mother's eyes, she stood up in a jump.

"What's going on?"

"Fast, pick up your things. Katniss is here and we are going away" said Carolyn. Prim was slack-jawed, she looked at her room's door and noticed Katniss standing there. Prim jumped off the bed and hugged Katniss sorely, felling the tears on her eyes. Katniss faced her sister sweetly.

"Quickly, Prim. We don't have time" said Katniss. Prim released her sister and rubbed her tears down. She nodded and started grabbing things in her room. She grabbed some pair of clothes to her and Katniss. She looked toward Buttercup and felt a lump in her throat as she realized that she was never going to see him again. She held the cat and hugged him tightly.

Meanwhile, Katniss was catching her game bag and was putting up her father's jacket. She ripped off the shoes she were wearing and put on her hunting boots. She looked around her room, not knowing well what she wanted to take from there. She noticed that Prim had taken some of her clothes and put them in a bag, so Katniss decided she didn't have anything to take. The most important things were already with her.

Katniss headed to the kitchen and glanced to her mother as she moved quickly to grab some kitchenware and put then in some bag. Carolyn headed to the pantry and took the rest of the food they had: a slice of bread, some grains, two bottle of milk, a tiny slice of cheese and few strawberries from the last supper. She wrapped them carefully in a piece of paper and placed it into her bag. Carolyn ran to her room and grabbed her medicine chest. _Never know, _she thought.

Before closing the bag, she walked to the fireplace and picked up a small photograph of her husband. An old photo they had taken when they married. She kept that photo in her pocket and headed to the front door.

"I'm ready" said Carolyn to Katniss, which was already in the front door waiting for her family. Prim appeared from behind her mother, still holding Buttercup on her little arms. Katniss wrinkled her nose with that.

"Prim, we can't take him with us" said Katniss seriously. Prim struggled to leave him and she felt her eyes get dizzy when she dropped him on the floor, and then she realized she was whimpering. Carolyn hugged Prim to calm her down, while Katniss was avoiding to look at her sisters. She didn't want to deal with that.

"Let's go" said Katniss drought and Carolyn and Prim followed her. She made sure no one was watching them and walked towards the actually-not-electrocuted fence. However, Gale stopped in the middle of the way.

"You keep going with them till the trunk where we keep our things" he said seriously. "I'm going to catch my family"

Katniss nodded and Gale took a deep breath before continue.

"If I don't come back in half a hour, you go away with your family" he said and Katniss looked frightened to him. That was not in the plan.

"No! This is _not_ what we planned!" she said exasperated, feeling her body to shiver. She didn't want to be apart from Gale; she needed him. Moreover, he knew the forest better than her.

"Katniss, stop" he said aggressively. "Don't do that!" he looked at her harshly. She gulped and nodded to him. He cupped her chin with one hand.

"I'll see you soon" he said turning his back to her and starting to run towards his house. Katniss looked as he disappeared through the distance and she headed with her family towards the woods.

Gale ran as faster as he could till he reached his house. He knocked the door roughly and Rory appeared from behind of it.

"Gale?" Rory asked surprise, but Gale passed through him hurriedly.

"We don't have time. Wake up the others and tell them we are going away" Rory, still slack-jawed, ran to wake up the other and tell them about Gale's plan. All Hawthorne organized themselves to pack their things. Gale helped her mother to pack Posy's clothes inside a little bag. When Hanzelle finished with Posy's clothes she handed the bag to Vick so he could put his own things on it. Vick packed his own things and was the first one to stand near the front door.

Gale took his jacket and his game bag. He took off his social shoes and put on something more confortable. When he was done, he held his little sister up and walked towards the front door.

"Everybody is ready?" he asked, however he noticed that only Vick was holding a bag. He looked up to his mom and realized she was still on her night-robe.

"I'm not going" Hanzelle said and Gale felt his knees get weak. He put Posy down and headed to his mother. He couldn't believe what he had just heard.

"What the hell are you saying? Mom, we have no time for this" Gale said desperately

"That's right, my son. I'm too old and too lazy to run away with you" she said softly. "You go and take care of your siblings. I'm going to stay here and cover you up"

Gale was startled and he could feels his heart aching.

"No! No! This is ridiculous!" he said, perhaps a little too loud. "I'm not going to leave you here by yourself!" how could his mother asked him something like that?

"But she wont be by herself" Gale heard and voice and turned in time to realized that was his brother, Rory. "I'm going to be here with her" Rory shrugged.

Gale started to feel a rage boil inside him. He couldn't abandon his own family like that. He thought about the time being wasted there and remembered he had planned something with Katniss.

"Of curse not, Rory" said Hanzelle. "You are going with your brother"

"No! I'm going to stay", said Rory firmly. He glanced at Gale, which had a wild-eyed expression. "You go and take care of them" Rory pointed to Posy and Vick, but Gale denied. However, suddenly they heard a noise coming from the street. Startled, Gale grabbed his things and ran to the kitchen, as well as his family. They were all lowered in the kitchen, afraid that some Peacekeeper could had heard or seen them. Gale felt a hand touching his shoulder and when he looked back, he realized it was from his mother.

"Honey, listen to me" she said as she cupped Gale's face softly. "Go and take your siblings with you. I'm going to stay here and I promise you I'll be alright"

Gale felt a lump in his throat that prevented him from saying anything. He hugged his mother tightly and gave her a kiss on the forehead.

"I swear I'm going to come back and rescue you," he said, feeling his impound voice and his eyes starting to burn. Hanzelle nodded and she turned to hug Vick and Posy tightly. Gale turned to face Rory.

"Are you coming?" Gale asked and Rory denied. Rory walked to his brother and hugged him, sobbing a little against Gale's shirt.

"Be strong, Rory" said Gale and his brother nodded. "And if you think you should run away with mom, don't hesitate doing it. Don't hesitate about nothing" Gale warned and his brother nodded once more.

Gale turned to Posy and picked her up from the floor again. Along with Vick they headed to the kitchen's window. Gale thought it was best to leave out from the back window as they had heard something on the street before. The three jumped the window to the outside. Gale looked at his mother and brother for the last time before turning around and heading to where Katniss was.

Gale was walking fast, still carrying his little sister. Posy was holding a small grimy teddy and cried softly against her brother's shoulder. Vick was right behind Gale, and ran fast to try to follow his brother's footsteps. Vick felt a huge pain in the chest and fought the urge to cry, not wanting to be more of a hindrance to Gale.

When he reached the electrocuted fence, he carefully helped his siblings to pass through it. He held Posy again in his arms and along with Vick walked towards the trunk where he kept his bow. Gale was concerned; worried that maybe Katniss had run away with her family, but when he approached to the place he could see three distinct silhouettes. Katniss sighted Gale and ran toward him. However, she noticed that neither his mother nor his brother were there.

"Gale, where is your mother and Rory? Katniss frowned and Gale shrugged, without answering her.

"We need to run. Keep going to a distant place" he said, taking his bow out of the trunk and placing it on his back. He looked up and noticed that Katniss was already with her bow. He took his snares and put them on his bag.

Katniss was still facing him and she noticed that he was snuffling his nose very often and that his eyes seemed red. It was not very usual to see Gale crying, Actually Katniss couldn't remember very well anytime that she had seen he crying. Not wanting to bother her friend in that moment and not knowing exactly how to deal with that, she headed towards Prim and her mother and started to walk into the woods. Vick followed her, walking quickly to approach the group. Gale was right behind them, still holding Posy on his arms.

"Bye, bye, little home" said Posy with a tearful and sharp voice. She buried her little head in Gale's shoulder and held her brother very tightly. Gale hugged her kindly and kept going till he find a safer place to all them six.

* * *

**N/A: Thanks to all those who sent me reviews or supported the continuation of this fic somehow.. I'll do my best for update the fic every 15 days. Please, don't be shy! S****ubmit me your review to let me know if I should go on with this.**


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